Azores Tourism Advertising Boost

Is the Azores about to have its moment in the travel world?

The Azores is about to go through a huge European advertising campaign promoting tourism in the region. A footnote in the ad indicates 'construir o futuro', meaning 'building for the future'.

In the last 20 years there have been significant infrastructure development on the the islands with improved roads and highways, along with  a new airport in Ponta Delgada and new routes for its regional airline SATA with direct flights from London, Boston, Toronto, Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Nuremberg, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm,  Helsinki, and code share and routes from Poland and eastern Europe.

The Azores 'Feel Alive' ad and website Visit Azores promotes eco-tourism and natural beauty in the region such as hiking, whale watching, and traditions of the island. It boasts 120 geological sites to explore on the 9 islands isolated in the middle of the Atlantic.

Tourism has always focused on mainland Portugal and offshore island of Madeira, but this indicates a new focus and push for the autonomous region of the Azores.

These islands offer new options for the off-beat traveler who aims to avoid mainstream destinations and explore a part of the world few know about, though it remains a place reserved for outdoor adventure seekers and explorers.

Visit my pages on Azores, São Miguel, Ponta Delgada, and Achada for photos and videos of the region.

Air Rail Link - Toronto Pearson Airport Responds

After a recent post about poor transport links between the Toronto airport, I'm glad to report that there are confirmed plans to finally bridge the city and the airport, as Toronto Pearson Airport responds.

New services will be introduced to move people more easily and comfortably to and from the airport. Toronto Pearson has been identified as an important Mobility Hub by Metrolinx, the Province’s regional transportation authority, in its recently approved Regional Transportation Plan.

The proposed Air Rail Link (ARL) from Toronto Pearson would provide efficient and dependable access between downtown Toronto and the Airport, where it would connect into the LINK Train Station currently at Terminal 1.

The Air Rail Link is an operating division of Metrolinx. When complete, the ARL will provide a premium express rail shuttle service between Union Station and Pearson Airport. In February 2011, Metrolinx directed the purchase of 12 convertible Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) to be used for the ARL service. (I believe a greener alternative could have been selected)

The ARL will be an important link for business people and travellers and will be ready for the 2015 Pan American Games.

Nude-In San Francisco

It is not illegal to be nude in San Francisco, in fact the city claims it is okay to be naked. Though a proposed law may mean that nudists will have to carry a towel to sit on.

On Saturday September 24 2011, nudists gathered at the top of the Castro District to protest and show people 'nude is not lewd'. Approximately 20 to 30 people took part in the peaceful event.

Fish Bar - Toronto

It's not often you go somewhere that really changes your perspective of what food should be, but my recent visit to Fish Bar on Ossington Avenue in Toronto really has left an impressive dent to my taste buds.

Where the main ingredient is exclusively fish and fresh, new combinations of ingredients brings news bursts of flavours to bland tastes, the calamari is simply the best, perfectly seasoned, mussels and tomato that make each really stand on it's own and oysters from east to western coasts of Canada with distinctive tastes and unusual combinations of sauces and spice.

I'm won over by Fish Bar, truly unique in that it breaks from tradition and serves us new combos and tastes. What makes it more enjoyable is the fact meals are made to share, like tapas, so trying a variety if dishes with friends makes the experience something special.

Fish Bar is a classic example if how a restaurant has chosen one element and specialised the flavour and experience. If your in Toronto I have to say, for a great fish experience, Fish Bar delivers.

Poor Transport Links for Toronto Airport

There are cities in the world you enjoy arriving, knowing that when you get there you'll shuttle through and out of the airport efficiently on your way.

In the case of Toronto Peason International Airport a visitor will struggle to find a cheap alternative to get to the city centre. Limited choices of sedans, taxis and airport limos are expensive, where a one way ride to the city centre could reach as high as $80 (ouch!). There is an alternative public transit of the 192 Airport Rocket which takes you to the start of the subway system at Kipling Station for as little as $3 one way, though extra fares must be paid when entering the underground, or subway as its known locally. Though it's not the sort of ride you want after a long haul flight.

Pearson is the largest and busiest airport in Canada and handled 31.9 million passengers in 2010. It is amongst the world's top 35 busiest airports by total passenger traffic, and is currently the world's 20th busiest airport by international passenger traffic, yet has no real efficient direct links to the city centre other than those mentioned above. Enviromentally unfriendly options and costly connections to get to and from.

Toronto Peason International Airport was voted Canada's worst airport in a recent poll by the Flight Network, most likely because it is Canada's busiest airport, which would get more votes anyway. Though my reasons are from an international traveler like myself. Arriving in a new destination requires organised transportation to get you on the way, and most likely the first impression you'll get of any city.

Cities like Barcelona, London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, San Francisco are all very well connected to the airports that serve them. Easy, efficient and very cost friendly. These cities know that the future includes increased air travel, where airports are hubs and links, in addition to buses and trains, rather than just an airport. These cities are very well prepared for tomorrow.

Toronto has grown, almost doubled in size over the last 40 years, and no improvements have ever been made to make Toronto Peason International Airport better connected to the city centre. Business and leisure travelers need infastructures to help them on their way quickly and cost effectively. Toronto remains possibly the worst ranked airport transportation links I've seen anywhere in the world compared to other international cities of its size.

Expedia Defines British Summer

Great advert that says it as it is. Thank you Expedia for keeping it real.

*Note: Published August 10, 2011

The Last Whalers - An Azorean Past

No longer practiced on the islands of the Azores, but whaling was a big industry. A whale's cadaver was processed for lamp oil, candles, medicines, perfume and machinery lubricants. The blubber was melted down for oil and the bones tossed aside.

The first type of whaling done was shore whaling along the New England coast, Native Americans sent their boats out and speared one of the passing whales. This practice was followed by European settlers later. The Dutch controlled whaling during the 17th century. The British followed in the 18th century as the chief whalers, followed later by the Americans in the 19th century.

Whaling crews could be found at the Azores. Captains would disembark from New England with a skeleton crew and head for the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands looking for a supply of sailors. They liked the Portuguese because they were hard working, quiet, and cheap. The Azorean teenage male was waiting to be picked. He was seeking opportunity and a way to the United States, generally because he was fleeing military service.

In the late 1930s more than 50,000 whales were killed annually worldwide. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling.

At Cais do Pico, there is a commercial port and an old fishing harbour that played a major part in the historical activity of whale hunting. The Museu da Indústria Baleeira (the Whaling Industry Museum), housed in the old Whaleboat Factory in the town of São Roque, which was in business from 1946 to 1984. This museum was opened in May 1994 and is internationally considered to be one of the best industrial museums of its kind, exhibiting boilers, furnaces, machinery and other equipment used in the exploitation and transformation of whales into oil and flour. It offers you the chance to make an interesting discovery about the ancient practices linked to a now extinct activity.

Below is a vintage film "The Last Whalers" by William Neufeld, 1968. It documents a past way of life on the island of Pico. WARNING! You may find this disturbing to watch.



"The Last Whalers" by William Neufeld. Produced by WBN Productions, 1968. Modern Azorean shore whaling. An edited and sub-titled version is currently on exhibit in the Azorean Whalemen Gallery at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Ref:
Azorean and New England Whaling and Fishing
Azores Islands by Robert L. Santos